Food Metaphysics

We branded our business Cooking Alchemy, not only because we are in a period of the resurgence. Our aim is reconnecting and strengthening our bond with one of nature’s greatest gifts, our food and to reclaim nourishment as our birthright. So what does Alchemy have to do with cooking? What does Alchemy have to do with anything? Nothing and everything….

Coming from a farming family, I learned very early on that sometimes size matters. And that some of the best, real food, comes in small sizes. My parents were (and are adamant to this day) about size. Their emphasis has always been “pick small.” They say if they grew too big, they would become “dodu” (crazy) and flavorless. Not convinced…

This is not a recipe. I repeat. This is not a recipe. Not holistically. This is a guide. Why? Because some meals are simple enough to replicate, without step-by-step instructions. Because sometimes, given a blueprint, we can use our intuition to move us along in the cooking process. And because we trust, that you trust, you can do it! Fajitas,…

Delicious desserts do not have to be a mix of flour, sugar and fat. Well, at least not all the time. Desserts can add nutritional benefits and still massage the sweet tooth. And with all things in moderation, it really is the best of both worlds. Even though fruits really are nature’s best summer dessert, cool desserts do have their…

I visited Germantown Kitchen Garden Saturday morning in search for some fresh local food, and I found it… and more. Salad greens. Check. Radishes. Check. Kale. Check. Bok choy. Check. Shitake. Check. And while I have not met a mushroom I didn’t want to cook and eat and we had crossed paths many times, this time was different. It was…

Ingredients: 1 cup of coconut cream 2 ripe avocados 2 limes ¼ teaspoon smoked salt These four simple ingredients can add so much flavor and depth to any meal. It is especially delicious for bean dishes, as beans are naturally low in fat and high in fiber. The alkaline combination of coconut and avocado will add nutritious fats (omega fatty…

For a few dollars and less than 30 minutes of our time, we can have a breakfast that will feed our family and warm our bodies. Having a plan, a breakfast plan, is a great way to start the busy work week. Knowing what to have on hand, especially during the chilly mornings of the year, will simplify the breakfast…

We start the cooking process by sweating the small stuff, we end with the big stuff. The stuff, great meals are built upon. Aromatics, tubers, alliums are all great choices. Carrots, poblanos for stock. Walnuts and pumpkin seeds for garnish. Sweating foundational vegetables, like alliums, aromatics and tubers, is a great path towards a great…

A few years have past since I was a part of the Wyck House Farmer’s Market and last Friday, I returned to Wyck to meet the new farmer, Krippa and her team and of course check out the latest fresh produce the 19144 neighborhood has to offer. No more than 5 minutes away, Wyck House gives us the best of…

Above, Leftover Red Curry Stir-Fry Whether out of necessity, convenience, or frugality, eating last night’s dinner for lunch the next day or a dinner a second time around, may be better for you than you think. Not only is it sustainable, resourceful and practical, it has the potential to be absolutely delicious! Why should holiday meals be the only exception…

There are plenty of ways to eat clean, cook better, lose or maintain weight, cleanse our bodies from the overburden of toxins and heal our bodies. And it may require less than we think. It may not be just about food. Through the power of breath, conscious breath, we can tap into one of the best health giving benefits money…

Gerlean Gwyn Durant. I never knew her full name. Ms. Jerry. Ms. J. What would an 82 year old and a 40 year old have in common anyways? We were neighbors for 10 years. She witnessed the growth of my children and when my once upon ago, toddler, took off charging down the sidewalk and I struggled to catch him”,…

Will they compliment or contrast? How do we know what the end result will be? Will it all be a waste of effort? Nobody really knows. We just can’t be too sure. It’s unpredictable. Risky. There will always be the probability of perceived failure and success. Will we set our kitchens or the world on fire? Will our taste buds…

Susan Shie’s Kitchen Tarot It’s such a small word, easy to put into so many contexts. Bold enough to make some of us a little bit uncomfortable. And food and cooking are at the center of it all. It’s quietly what gives meaning and memory to celebrations of all kinds. It can reconnect us to a time when deeper purpose…

Just when you thought nothing was/is as good or better than caramel covered apples… Well think again. Get ready to open yourself up to almond butter covered apples with pumpkin seed crumble! Most of the work is in the crumb mixture, which really is a quick masterpiece. Whether you celebrate Halloween or not is totally…irrelevant! It’s a great fall treat…

I would like to believe that I have never been one to follow eating trends or the like. But, it just isn’t the whole truth. I have dibbled, dabbled, scribbled and scrabbled. Food and cooking has always been my drug of choice. It has always heightened whatever state I have been in. Pulled me up and tugged me down. And…

For some welcoming the Solstice was just another day, for others a time of celebration and for many, this year is of particular significance. This Winter Solstice, followed by 12/12/12, the final synchronous day in our lifetime, is a time of renewal, re-birth and co-creating the reality of our choosing. There are many modalities that we can incorporate into our…

I am a mother of four children, 3 school-age and the thought of losing my children was too unbearable to imagine, even for a brief moment. We are right now, at this present time on earth, faced with an epidemic no prescribed drug, healing food or recipe alone can remedy. No words, no flesh alone can do it. It’s a…

According to the History of Yuba article published by the Soyinfo Center, yuba or otherwise known as “tofu skin” is made from a process “when soymilk is gently heated in shallow, open pans at 80-90*C, forming a cream-yellow, bland-flavored, concentrated protein-lipid surface film (called yuba) is gradually formed. The films are successively removed from the soymilk surface using a long…

In my last blog, Local & Freestyle: GLEC Summer Culinary Nutrition Program, I shared the mission behind the program, our connection to Greensgrow Farms, who help make it LOCAL our culinary adventure that makes it FREESTYLE. I am delighted to share with you this week’s creations. This week we were gifted with red peppers, eggplant, zucchini, heirloom tomatoes and onions…

I don’t know too many who don’t enjoy a cool glass of lemonade, especially during the summer months. To beat the heat and accompany the shifting energies of the full moon, a perfect drink was in order to compliment a protein rich appetizer. It’s an antiseptic, astringent, emollient and purgative antioxidant wonder that it is as hydrating as it is…

A few weeks ago, I lead a workshop at the mka institute in Germantown that focused on healing plant-based foods, particularly ancient foods that many of us have lost connection to. I also talked extensively about re-examining and refining our connection to nature by way of honoring it and ourselves. To some degree, we have come to shun foods that…

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Thoughts From the Alchemist

"Cooking is a form of artistic practice that can and should be approached with positive intention and clarity of mind by evaluating one’s own state of mind and emotional processes before assembling any meal. This understanding is as important, if not more, than the raw ingredients and final outcome of what you create with them"Elizabette